The purpose of every man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever (Spurgeon). This is how Charles Spurgeon, in his church's catechism, defines how to live a successful life. Furthermore, John Piper, Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, proclaims that a life without Christ is a wasted one. A religion that follow a “god” isn't enough to gain salvation. Man must have fellowship with the one, true God, if he is to gain salvation (Piper 38). Both of these men would probably be seen as intolerant in our culture for proposing such a narrow purpose to life. What about people that don't follow Jesus? How can anyone say their lives our wasted? How could the sole purpose of life be to glorify and enjoy God if so many opposing worldviews exist? These questions may arise from the fact that not everyone believes, worships, or enjoys the God described in the Bible. Consider the words of Jesus, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV Study Bible, John. 14.6). What a heavy statement to make! What about the religions of Muslims, Buddhist, and Hindus? These worldviews do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible! So how does the world handle ideas like this? If Jesus really is the truth, the only way to God, and the way to life, what happens to those who reject this idea? Regardless of what you're own worldview may be, Jesus clearly expresses the falsehood of every ideology that contradicts his own.
In an attempt to understand how people perceive ideas like this, it's important to examine our culture, and see how our culture is programmed to exchange and understand ideas. Many factors shape the way people view the world surrounding them; family traditions, friends, personal experience, and the time and place we live all have an influence. According to Christian author Robin Boisvert, most people believe that mankind's most basic problem consist of ignorance or a lack of education. Racism, AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies could be avoided if fewer misunderstandings and higher education took place (Mahaney and Boisvert 13). With that in mind, how do we discern what's right and wrong? In other words, people are always seeking for the “ultimate truth,” a better way of life, and a purpose for living, an answer to all answers. If this question is hard to answer, it may be because of an idea that's spread throughout every corner of the world; the postmodern idea, or postmodernism. Describing postmodernism, its consequences, and how we should respond to postmodern thinking may help us understand why people believe the way they do.
Postmodernism is an extremely difficult word to define because of its various meanings. Several Christian theologians, professors, and authors, however, have attempted to describe its origins and meaning. Erroll Hulse, author of the simply titled booklet, “Postmodernism,” describes the postmodern worldview by first describing its polar opposite worldview, Christianity. Christianity teaches that God is sovereign, and all of God's plans will come to pass. Every part of history was designed by God, and God accomplishes the goals of his heart. This is called a “meta-narrative” (Hulse 3). This Christian understanding can be summarized by saying, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” (ESV Study Bible, Psalm. 115.3). Postmodernist; however, reject the Christian meta-narrative, and make their own narrative, or reality, often based on personal experience or understanding. Most people believe one of the two narratives, either the Christian one, based on God's revelation through the Bible, or the humanistic one, based on science, evolution, and progress (Hulse 3).
Phil Johnson, in his sermon “A Beginner's Guide to Postmodernism,” breaks down today's postmodern philosophy. Postmodernism is an idea that truth comes from personal experience, truth is relative to the individual, and any ultimate authority to truth doesn't exist (Johnson). Professor Heath White, in his book, “Postmodernism 101” explains: postmodernism is a worldview, but it's not a theory or creed, it's more like an attitude or a way of understanding things (White 11). Almost all religious thought, however, holds to some confession or creed in order to explain the principles behind their faith. Since postmodern philosophy believes that ultimate authority to any form of truth doesn't exist, creeds and confessions are not necessary. White also explains how understanding the Western culture enables a person to understand postmodernism: if you understand your culture, you'll also understand the attitudes and ideas that take place in your society. Postmodernism is the big idea of the twenty-first century (White 12, 13).
Understanding your culture will give you a great understanding in perceiving the ideologies that people around you have. Postmodernism is the very idea that is shaping today's society. So how did postmodernism begin? Like most ideas and philosophies, postmodernism didn't begin overnight. Postmodernism, perhaps as early as the 1950's, was a word used to coin a new style of the fine arts. Postmodernism was also used to describe literature, and even philosophies of a few French ideals (White 10). Based on the earliest concepts of postmodernism, postmodernism wasn't so much a worldview, but more like a materialistic fad. To go back further, the parent of postmodern activity would have been “modern” thought. Modernism was an idea that swept through human thought through the seventeenth century's Enlightenment period, which set the pace of human thought for the centuries to follow. Modernism was a worldview almost strictly secular, being formed from such things as the Scientific Method, the declining influence of the Catholic Church in politics, the change from monarchy to democracy, capitalism, and the Industrial Revolution. By the twentieth century, postmodernism began replacing modern thought (White 12, 13). The main difference between “modern” and “postmodern” philosophy, is the postmodern rejection of absolute truth. All though “modern” philosophy wasn't based on a religious confession; it was still a movement that believed truth was obtainable. This postmodern concept has changed the Western culture's way of thinking in several ways.
One way postmodernism is shaping our way of thinking is through our nation's government. Abraham Kuyper, the Netherlands prime minister between 1901 and 1905, pointed out a historical fact of all political movements in his book, “Lectures on Calvinism.” It's clear that every successful political scheme has been founded on either specific religions or antireligious ideas (Kuyper 65). Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, explains the direction the United States Government has taken over the past 50 years due to postmodern concepts in his book, “Culture Shift.” Within the last 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has had to question the use of religious liberty, language, and symbols used in public squares. Within several decades, the Supreme Court has decided school prayer, religious symbolism, and references to any form of deity is intolerable (Mohler 37). Furthermore, Mohler explains that the reasoning behind this is often because our society doesn't want to risk the possibility of offending anyone. Gaining cultural momentum is this idea that human beings have a right not to be offended. One example from this idea comes from the riots which broke out in several European cities in 2006, due to a Danish newspaper that mocked the prophet Muhammad. The logic behind these riots were Muslims deserve to never be offended by any form of insult, whether it's real or perceived. Nothing should oppose the Muslim belief system (Mohler 29). This would probably explain why tolerance has become such an important value in our American society. Because of the diversity of belief systems in our American culture, it's become unethical to disapprove of any idea, ethic principle, or religion. Tolerance is one of the driving forces behind the postmodern movement.
Pastor John MacArthur, in his book, “Why Government Can't Save You,” explains how Christians have responded to this postmodern mindset. Instead of using the spiritual resources God offers, many Christians have been moved to protest, boycott, and blockade the immorality of our nation. Unfortunately, this reduces Christianity to just another political movement (MacArthur viii). This might explain why Christians are often identified as “republicans” or “right-winged politicians.” However, true Christianity doesn't base it's truth on a worldly political stance; it's based on sola scriptura – scripture alone, which tells of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
MacArthur also responds to a suggestion that he become President of the United States, he replies:
“No! I would never want to be president because the power to bring righteousness to this country does not now and will never reside in public office.” (MacArthur vii).
Though MacArthur often states strong opinions about politics, he often avoids political conversations:
“I avoid it simply because the political arena and its rhetoric have no power to bring about spiritual transformation our society needs.” (MacArthur vii).
Another consequence of postmodern thinking is our own nation's rejection of God. MacArthur, in “The Truth War, explains how this changes our perception of truth:
“If a person can't tolerate the thought of God, there is simply no comfortable place for the concept of truth in that person's worldview, either. So the consistent atheist, agnostic, or idolater might as well hate the very idea of truth.” (MacArthur xv).
This goes back to the Bible's definition of truth: Jesus Christ. Church history is full of examples of people accepting torture or death for the sake of truth. Previous generations considered martyrdom a heroic act. To die for what you believed in was honorable. That is not always the case today. Unfortunately, much of this is due to terrorist; who kill people for not believing like them. Terrorism, however, is the polar opposite of martyrdom. Many are willing to kill for a lie, but few are willing to die for the truth (MacArthur xii).
Not only is postmodern thinking affecting those who reject the truth of Christianity, it's also changing the way Christians understand their own faith. Postmodernism is quickly becoming a part of Christian thinking, and is rapidly filling the church congregation as well. One of the biggest ways postmodernism does this is by changing the understanding of literature. Postmodernism allows for any reader of literature to interpret an author's work anyway they please, leaving the author's intention often unnoticed. Theologian Edgar McKnight explains how this changes a Christian's view of the Bible in the book, “A Confessing Theology for Postmodern Times.”
“Now a literary turn in taking place in biblical study. This turn is taking place at the same time that literary study has entered into a post-new-critical phase in which readers have become an essential ingredient in literature, vital in its “actualization.” (McKnight 65).
So how should we respond to postmodernism? Postmodern thinking, whether people realize it or not, is becoming the primary worldview of most Americans, all though many do not consciously realize it. It's all ready been established that if Christianity is the true worldview, then absolute truth must exist, and a postmodern, open-to-interpretation ideology can't work. It's impossible for Christianity to work in unity with the postmodern mindset. Is Christianity even a rational concept in our culture today, if we consider the postmodern dilemma? Conference speaker James Sire, in the book, “Telling the Truth,” puts it this way:
“The rationality or irrationality of Christianity is not important if rationality itself is not a useful test for believe. And that is the postmodern problem.” (95).
If today's society rejects the idea of absolute truth, Christianity can no longer be rational, because rationality doesn't determine truth anymore. Chuck Colson, author of “How Now Shall We Live?,” explains how this may be due to an ignorance of biblical truth. Western society no longer understands the basic tenets of Christianity. Previously, most people were familiar with biblical teaching, even if they didn't live by it. Today, many people are completely unfamiliar with sound biblical teaching (31).
This would make sense, considering the definite absolutes the Bible describes. If the readers of the Bible are to take the scriptures literally, (which is what the authors of the Bible intended readers to do) then the reader would quickly see that the scriptures leave no room for open interpretations, and therefore, truth can't be simply relative to the person reading it. If most people are ignorant in their understanding of biblical text, then they wouldn't have an authoritative standard of truth to live by.
So why should anyone take the Bible seriously today? Pastor Voddie Baucham attempts to answerr this in his sermon, “Decoding Da Vinci,” The Bible is:
“A reliable collection of historical documents written down by eye witnesses during the life time of other eye witnesses that report supernatural events which took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim to be divine rather than human in origin.” (Baucham).
Baucham came to that conclusion simply by reading the writing of Peter in the New Testament epistle of 2 Peter. In the sermon, he explains how scripture defends itself and that the scriptures are designed to shut the mouth of non-believers.
In short, the ideas of postmodernism should move people to realize how truly vague and irrational it is to believe that all truth is relative to a person's experience and understanding of truth. It is highly irrational to believe that any and all worldviews can be consistently correct. People cannot make a truth claim based on their own experiences or intellectual understandings, they must have an authority. The Bible is that authority, because it was written under the divine power of the Holy Spirit.
Of course, just intellectually understanding biblical truth won't make a lasting change in a person's worldview, unless there is also a heart change. A person who intellectually decides that the Bible is the source of truth, must also put their faith in the man the Bible tells the story of; Jesus Christ. Bible believers must also be born again in order to be saved from the wrath of God. God has revealed himself to all creation; he has done so by both nature and the scriptures. For the person who's determined that scripture tells the truth about how mankind is supposed to live, the person must also realize the need for a savior. The Bible is clear on man's evil condition, and the breaking of God's moral law, which separates man from God. The good news is that any man who turns from his sins and puts his faith in Christ will be saved. To the man who's come to the truth of scripture, God commands to repent, and trust in Jesus Christ, who is the savior to all who believe in him. This is the truth of all truths. The truth of Jesus Christ.
Bibliography.
Baucham, Voddie. “Voddie Baucham – Decoding Da Vinci – pt 2 of 5.” themamboman. YouTube. 21 Feb. 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2009.
Colson, Charles., and Nancy Pearcey. How Now Shall We Live?. Wheaton: Tyndale House. 1999. Print.
ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Print.
Hulse, Erroll. Postmodernism. Attack on th Heart of Biblical Christianity. Johbunyan.org. Chapel Library, 2007. Web. 17, Nov. 2009.
Kuyper, Abraham. Lectures on Calvinism. Peabody: Hendrickson. 2008. Print.
Johnson, Phil “A Beginner's Guide to Postmodernism.” Gracelife, Valencia. 30 June. 2006. Sermon.
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Mahaney, C.J. And Robin Boisvert. This Great Salvation: Unmerited Favor, Unmatched Joy.
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Mohler, R. Albert Jr. Culture Shift. Engaging Current Issues With Timeless Truth. Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2008. Print.
Piper, John. Don't Waste Your Life. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2003. Print.
Sire, James W. Telling The Truth. Evangelizing Postmoderns, Ed. D.A. Carson. Grand Rapids:
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Spurgeon, Charles Hadden. A Catechism With Proofs. Johnbunyan.org. Chapel Library, 2007. Web. 17, Nov. 2009.
White, Heath. Postmodernism 101. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2006. Print.
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